What Codfish Should You Use
Portuguese cod cakes are one of the recipes invented to use leftover cod or the off-cuts of the fish. That said, you can use any cut of the fish you have at hand. In most Portuguese supermarkets you will be able to find a tray of lascas de bacalhau – smaller pieces of salt cod. They are ideal for this recipe and require less soaking time than a piece of the loin.
A Note on Soaking the Codfish
Talking about soaking your bacalhau, if you cooked with salt cod before you already know that you need to soak it before cooking. The best way to do it is to give the fish a good rinse, then put it in a container with cold water, and place it in the fridge. If you are using cod loins, make sure their skin faces up, so no salt gets trapped inside. With regular water swaps, the total soaking time for the loins can total up to 3 days. For lascas, soaking it overnight should be good enough!
Authentic Portuguese Codfish Cakes Recipe
Start by preheating the oven to 180°C.
With your codfish prepped, place it in a pan, cover with boiling water, then cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked fish to a bowl, let it cool while you prepare the other ingredients.
Place the potatoes in a baking tray, cover with foil, bake in the oven for approx. 30 minutes or until they are cooked through. Let it cool for a couple of minutes, remove the skin, mash them. Transfer to a big bowl.
To shred the fish, add it to two layers of clean pieces of cloth, wrap it to a bundle. Start applying pressure and pounding it until finely shredded. Remove any skin or bones you may find. Combine your shredded fish with the mashed potatoes.
Finely chop the onion, garlic, and parsley, add it to the dough base. Add in your egg yolk too, season with the salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Mix well until everything is combined. If the mixture feels too wet, you can add a tablespoon or two of corn starch.
Place a pan suitable for deep frying over low to medium heat, then fill it with your vegetable oil. Let it heat up slowly while you shape the cakes.
Use 2 spoons of the same size to mould your pastéis into a torpedo shape. Repeat the process until you run out of dough.
What Codfish Should You Use
Portuguese cod cakes are one of the recipes invented to use leftover cod or the off-cuts of the fish. That said, you can use any cut of the fish you have at hand. In most Portuguese supermarkets you will be able to find a tray of lascas de bacalhau – smaller pieces of salt cod. They are ideal for this recipe and require less soaking time than a piece of the loin.
A Note on Soaking the Codfish
Talking about soaking your bacalhau, if you cooked with salt cod before you already know that you need to soak it before cooking. The best way to do it is to give the fish a good rinse, then put it in a container with cold water, and place it in the fridge. If you are using cod loins, make sure their skin faces up, so no salt gets trapped inside. With regular water swaps, the total soaking time for the loins can total up to 3 days. For lascas, soaking it overnight should be good enough!
Authentic Portuguese Codfish Cakes Recipe
Start by preheating the oven to 180°C.
With your codfish prepped, place it in a pan, cover with boiling water, then cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked fish to a bowl, let it cool while you prepare the other ingredients.
Place the potatoes in a baking tray, cover with foil, bake in the oven for approx. 30 minutes or until they are cooked through. Let it cool for a couple of minutes, remove the skin, mash them. Transfer to a big bowl.
To shred the fish, add it to two layers of clean pieces of cloth, wrap it to a bundle. Start applying pressure and pounding it until finely shredded. Remove any skin or bones you may find. Combine your shredded fish with the mashed potatoes.
Finely chop the onion, garlic, and parsley, add it to the dough base. Add in your egg yolk too, season with the salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Mix well until everything is combined. If the mixture feels too wet, you can add a tablespoon or two of corn starch.
Place a pan suitable for deep frying over low to medium heat, then fill it with your vegetable oil. Let it heat up slowly while you shape the cakes.
Use 2 spoons of the same size to mould your pastéis into a torpedo shape. Repeat the process until you run out of dough.
